Final Score: Chargers defeat Chiefs 16-13 in NFL Week 15

Needing a Week 15 victory to keep their postseason hopes alive, the Kansas City Chiefs instead collected a fourth-quarter knee injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes as time was running out in a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, dropping their record to 6-8 and ending their opportunity to reach the postseason. So now, the team must focus of getting through the final three games of the season without more injuries – and begin thinking about how to work its way back to success in 2026.

First Quarter

Mahomes scrambles for early touchdown

Kansas City methodically moved the ball on its opening possession, leaning on short throws to Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce while Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt handled the early rushing attempts. After the drive briefly stalled on a sack by Tuli Tuipulotu, Patrick Mahomes extended the series with his legs, stepping up through the pocket and breaking free up the middle before finishing the play himself with a 12-yard scramble into the end zone to give the Chiefs an early 7–0 lead.

Chargers grind into range for Dicker field goal

Los Angeles put together a methodical response by leaning on the run game and short throws to move steadily across midfield. Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen on a quick completion to flip the field, while O.J. Hampton and Kimani Vidal combined for a series of physical runs that kept the chains moving. Kansas City briefly stalled the drive with a third-down stop inside the 30, but Cameron Dicker converted from 49 yards to get the Chargers on the board and cut the Chiefs’ lead to 7–3. Linebacker Nick Bolton was shaken up while making a tackle during the drive.

Kansas City’s next possession stalled quickly. Patrick Mahomes opened the series with a short completion to Travis Kelce, but Isiah Pacheco was dropped for a loss on the following run to put the Chiefs behind the sticks. On third down, Mahomes tried to hit Xavier Worthy on a short throw to the left, but the pass fell incomplete, and Worthy was shaken up on the play, forcing the Chiefs into a punt after a brief three-and-out.

Los Angeles started the possession backed up near its own goal line, with Vidal ripping off a seven-yard run to create some breathing room before a penalty on Nohl Williams helped move the ball further out. The Chargers continued to lean on Vidal and O.J. Hampton to set up third down as the first quarter ended.

Second quarter

Kansas City shut the drive down as the second began when Charles Omenihu beat his man for a sack of Justin Herbert. Linebacker Nick Bolton, who had briefly left the game earlier, was back on the field for the stop.

Kansas City failed to get anything going on the possession. Mahomes opened the series with an incomplete deep shot intended for Tyquan Thornton, then Pacheco followed with a short inside run for three yards. That left the Chiefs facing third down, and Tuipulotu won off the edge to sack Mahomes for a loss, forcing a punt.

Gillotte intercepts Herbert after pressure forces mistake

Los Angeles opened the series with a short run that went nowhere and an incompletion to fall behind the chains. On third-and-long, Herbert tried to hit McConkey on a short throw to the right, but pressure arrived immediately, with Drue Tranquill and safety Mike Edwards blitzing and hitting Herbert as he threw. The contact caused the ball to float, and defensive end Ashton Gillotte, who had dropped into coverage, stepped in front of the pass and intercepted it at the Chargers’ 30 before returning it to the 19.

Chiefs settle for field goal after takeaway

Given a short field after the interception, Kansas City leaned on the run game to work inside the Chargers’ 10, with Pacheco and Hunt grinding out tough yards to set up first-and-goal. The drive stalled near the goal line after Mahomes misfired on consecutive short throws, forcing the Chiefs to settle. Butker connected on a 27-yard field goal, pushing Kansas City’s lead to 10–3.

Los Angeles moved into Kansas City territory with a pair of short completions, including a checkdown to Vidal that picked up 15 yards, but the drive stalled near midfield. On fourth-and-one, Herbert’s short pass fell incomplete, and the Chiefs appeared to have a stop before it was wiped out by a neutral zone infraction on Jones. Given new life, the Chargers couldn’t take advantage. Watson dropped Herbert for a sack to push the offense backward, and Kansas City tightened coverage from there, forcing short gains and leaving Los Angeles unable to recover as the drive fizzled without points.

Kansas City pieced together a late second-quarter drive with Mahomes spreading the ball around and using tempo to move into Chargers territory. Mahomes hit Xavier Worthy twice on quick throws along the sideline and found Rashee Rice over the middle to convert a third down near midfield, while a defensive too-many-men penalty helped keep the possession alive. The drive stalled just outside the red zone after an incompletion to Worthy on third down, but Harrison Butker stepped in and drilled a 47-yard field goal, extending the Chiefs’ lead to 13–3 before halftime.

Herbert strikes late as Chargers close the gap

Los Angeles answered quickly before halftime, with Justin Herbert pushing the ball downfield after an early incompletion. Herbert connected with Tre Harris on a deep throw that flipped the field into Chiefs territory. After another short completion set up first-and-goal, Herbert went back to the air and found KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the end-zone for a 16-yard touchdown, trimming Kansas City’s lead to 13–10 heading into the break.

The first half ended with Cameron Dicker kicking off to open the third quarter, and Tyquan Thornton returned the ball 29 yards to the Chiefs’ 38

Third quarter

Los Angeles opened the second half with a sustained drive that mixed short throws and inside runs, moving into Chiefs territory despite an early holding penalty that briefly set them back. Herbert hit Allen and McConkey to flip the field, then found Gadsden for a deep gain down to the Kansas City 4. The Chiefs’ defense tightened near the goal line, with Omenihu and Chenal combining for a sack at the 5 and Karlaftis stopping Hampton for a loss, but Dicker ultimately converted a 23-yard field goal to trim Kansas City’s lead to 10-6. The drive was costly on both sides, as Watson, Jones, Bolton and Knowles all briefly left the game with injuries, while Bolton later returned.

The Chiefs followed with a quick three-and-out, as Mahomes twice misfired on short throws intended for Rice before Odafe Oweh got home on third down, dropping Mahomes for a loss and forcing Kansas City to punt the ball right back to Los Angeles.

The Chargers picked up one first down on a short completion from Herbert to Gadsden, but the drive never gained momentum beyond that, as Vidal was limited on back-to-back runs and Herbert later threw incomplete on third down before a false start by Lambert-Smith wiped out the punt attempt and forced Los Angeles to try again, ending the possession without further damage.

Kansas City went three-and-out again, opening the possession with a pair of Isiah Pacheco runs that gained modest yardage before Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete to Rashee Rice on third down, a play that left Rice shaken up and stopped the drive before it could flip field position.

Hampton ripped off a 25-yard run around the left edge to move the Chargers deep into Chiefs territory, but it did not reach the red zone. Kansas City recovered after the big play, stuffing Hampton on consecutive runs and forcing a fourth down. Cameron Dicker then converted from 49 yards, pushing the Chargers’ lead to 16–13 late in the third quarter.

Kansas City closed the third quarter by picking up a short gain on an Pacheco run and then moving the chains when Mahomes hit Kelce over the middle for a modest gain into Chiefs territory as the quarter expired.

Fourth quarter

Kansas City opened the fourth quarter trying to build on a late-third-quarter spark, but the drive unraveled quickly. Mahomes was sacked by Oweh to put the Chiefs behind the sticks, then later connected with Thornton twice down the right sideline for gains of 31 and 21 yards, though one of the explosive plays was wiped out by a Smith-Schuster illegal blindside block, and the other left Thornton injured. After an incompletion and a short Pacheco loss, Mahomes tried to take a deep shot to Hunt in the end zone, but Chargers cornerback Henley stepped in front of the pass and intercepted it at the 1-yard line, stopping the drive and flipping momentum to Los Angeles to begin the quarter.

The Chargers pieced together a steady drive behind a mix of runs and short throws, with Hampton and Kimani Vidal picking up yards on the ground and Herbert finding Allen and Gadsden to move the chains. A third-down completion to Gadsden pushed Los Angeles near midfield, and Hampton followed with consecutive runs to get the ball into Kansas City territory. The Chiefs tightened defensively, as Cook and Karlaftis helped force two straight incompletions, setting up fourth down.

Kansas City mounted a late push by leaning on short throws to Kelce and Rice and a couple of Hunt runs to work out of its own end, but the drive stalled after Patrick Mahomes was injured on an incomplete pass. Mahomes did not return, forcing Gardner Minshew to take over for the final snaps. Minshew hit Kelce twice and moved the ball into Chargers territory, but a delay-of-game penalty set the Chiefs back, and Los Angeles closed quickly on the final play when James intercepted Minshew’s deep attempt intended for Kelce at the Chargers’ 18, effectively ending Kansas City’s last chance.

The Chargers took a knee to end the game.

Statistics

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